LSU football just ended off one of the best seasons in college football history, going undefeated and winning the national championship with a quarterback under center who won the Heisman Trophy.
Running it back is quite a challenge after losing so much talent to the 2020 NFL Draft, along with several coaches and assistants this offseason.
But, will they even get the chance to?
As it appears right now, the college football season is on as planned for LSU. But with the seemingly ever-changing circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, the idea that the season could be delayed or cancelled doesn’t seem outlandish.
The effects of this extend beyond just the athletes themselves, and could have quite the impact on Louisiana businesses.
According to a recent article from The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander, football ended the 2019 fiscal year with $56.6 million in profit, making it the only LSU team to make more than $500,000.
A study also found that there was a “dependent relationship” between the LSU athletic department and the Louisiana economy, and fans spent $65.7 million in the Baton Rouge metro area while attending the team’s games in 2012.
The comes out to an average of $8.2 million per game.
So, needless to say, there’s a lot to be lost if LSU doesn’t have football this fall.
Of course, safety outweighs profit and the excitement of the sport returning to Baton Rouge this year.
“As a hotelier, we definitely would like to see an LSU football season,” Ben Blackwell, president of the Louisiana Hotel and Lodging Association said, “but we also want it to be done safely because we want to protect the players and our guests and the university itself.”
It will be interesting to see how the situation continues to evolve as LSU football nears its Sept. 5 start date to the season.